Manufacture of wheels



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. STRAIT. MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS.

K0551130 1. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

Attorney (No Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. STRAIT. 1 MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS. NO. 554,204.

Patented Feb; 4, 1896.

Wifnesse-s:

Attorney.

' ANDREW B GRAHAM.PNUYO-UTHO.WASNWGTON.D.C.

lhvirn TATES ATENT Fr es.

XVILLIAM STRAIT, OF ELMIRA, NENV YORK.

MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS.

SPECIFICATTON forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,204, dated February4, 1896. Application filed May 1 1895. Serial No. 547,749. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM STRAIT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture ofWheels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the letters and figures of reference marked on the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of wheels.

The invention consists in the-following-described process, constructionand combination of parts, the features of which will first be fullydescribed and the points of novelty then set forth in the claims.

Figure 1 represents an elevation of an apparatus to which I have appliedmy improvements, the front hinged portion of the mold being removed.Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same with both portions ofthe mold in place, parts of the devicebeing broken away and the hingedportion of the mold being thrown out in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detailside view of the hub-mold, showing the means for locking the parts inplace. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation broken away with the outer rim andsection of the tire in place. Fig. 5 is a crosssection upon the line a:00 of Fig. 4.

A represents a spider-frame having radiallyprojecting arms which supportthe main parts of the apparatus.

B is the main portion of the hub-mold and is cored out appropriately tocast the desired form of hub required. This hub-mold B is secured to aframe 0, which in turn is supported by the spider-frame A. Thespiderframe and its supports are bolted to a support D in a rigidmanner.

E is the face part of the mold and is supported by bar F rigidlyattached thereto and hinged at its lower end at G to the spiderframe ora projection therefrom.

The inner contacting faces of the mold parts B and E are radiallygrooved with a series of depressions H, which are preferably angularlyshaped, and within which the spokes of the wheel to be made are held and clamped. These depressions in either side of the mold register witheach other, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

I is an annular rim provided with a radially-disposed series of notchesJ having beveled faces which serve to gather and center the spokes K intheir proper position for east ing the hub.

L is the outer rim of the apparatus rigidly secured to the spider-frame,and within which the tire M of the wheel is placed.

M denotes the rim or tire of the wheel, which may be made of ordinaryfiat iron, or the construction and material may be varied, as desired;but in this case the rim or tire is formed of channel-iron and isprovided with a groove or recess m, extending entirely around the same.

The wheel, with the exception of the hub, is first made up upon asuitable frame with the tire bent to shape and the spokes insertedtherein and headed up or otherwise secured. The tire and its spokes arethen placed upon the spider-frame within the rim L. The ends of the tireat their meeting point in the tire are not fastened, but a straptie-piece O is preferably fastened to one end of the tire by means ofthe bolts or rivets o, as shown in Fig. 4, and bridges the space Fbetween the meeting ends and is not fastened to the opposite end. Afterthe wheel is put upon the frame of the apparatus a key-piece Q isinserted within the space P and driven between the ends of the tire,which results in forcing the tire outwardly against the annular rim L,thereby taking out all irregularities in the curve of the tire. At thesame time the spokes K are centered by the beveled edges of thedepressions J in the rim 1, so that the spokes are brought into thedepressions H in the counter faces of the hub-mold,which is their properposition. The hinged portion E of the mold is'then closed and locked, inwhich position the inner ends of the spokes project into themold-cavity, as shown in Fig. 1.

B, Fig. 3, are hook-shaped levers pivoted at S to the part B of the moldand swing radially. To look the mold-sections the levers too R are swunginwardly and a link-bar T is secured to the outer end of each lever tohold them in that position, after which Wedges U are inserted betweenthe levers R and the side of the mold-section E and driven in, therebylocking the mold-sections.

V is the orifice through which the molten metal is poured to cast thehub of the wheel.

V is the core of the mold which is inserted before the casting is made.

X are lugs upon the mold-section for suitably registering the same.

The tire is preferably made of channel-iron, and the strap 0 fitstherein between the flanges; but the tire may be made of ordinarystrap-iron or any other form.

Y is a reciprocating sleeve adapted to project interiorly into thehub-section B of the mold and provided with suitable bearings in whichit works.

Z is a lever pivoted upon the spider-frame or a projection thereof andadapted to engage the sleeve Yfor the purpose of reciprocating the same.

1 is a spring secured to lever Z for the purpose of normally throwingthe sleeve outward from the mold against a stop.

2 is an adjustable stop set upon the frame for the purpose of limitingthe outward movement of the sleeve Y.

After the wheel has been put in position and centered upon the frame andthe mold looked upon the spokes the metal is poured in to the opening Vto cast the hub upon the spokes. The wheel is then removed from theapparatus by unlocking the mold-sections and swinging out the section Ebefore the metal has cooled. The wedge Q between the tire ends thendrops out, or is forced out, and the cooling of the metal in the hub andits consequent shrinkage causes a radially-central pull upon all thespokes of the wheel, which results in drawing the separated ends of thetire up into contact with each other, after which the free end of thestrap or tie-piece O is riveted or otherwise secured and the Wheelcompleted. The first action of the hot metal in casting the hub acts toexpand the spokes, which tendency is resisted by the outer rim, L, afterwhich the contraction of the metal by cooling causes the edges or endsof the tire to approach and make contact. This cooling of the hub maytake place Within the apparatus, but I prefer to immediately remove thewheel and allow it to cool while the succeedto strike the hub and ejectit from the mold..

I claim- 1. The improvement in the art of manufacturing wheels whichconsists in assembling spokes upon a cut and separated tire, expandingthe tire against a tire-former to remove all unevenness therefrom, andthen casting a hub upon the spokes, whereby the contrac tion of the hubmetal causes the separated tire to close up.

2. The improvement in the art of manufacturing wheels which consists inassembling spokes upon a cut and separated tire, expanding the tireagainst a tire-former to remove all unevenness therefrom, centering thespokes, and then casting a hub upon the spokes, whereby the contractionof the hub metal causes the separated tire to close up.

3. The combination of the separable hubmold, the annular centeringdevice intermediately disposed between said mold and the tire-former forbringing the spokes into relative position and the tire-former separatefrom said centering device, as set forth.

4:. The combination of the separable hubmold provided with hinges, theannular centering device intermediately disposed between said mold andthe tire-former for bringing the spokes into relative position and thereciprocating ejector for removing the hub from the mold.

5. The combination of the two-part mold having hinge connections, theannular centering device intermediately disposed between said mold andthe tire former, the ejector for removing the hub from the mold, thepivoted locking-levers provided with a link for uniting the same whenlocked and means for bringing the levers and link under tension.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

\VM. STRAIT.

Witnesses FENELON B. BROOK, J. FRED. KELLEY.

